Picking a roof shingle color can be hard. It’s such a big decision and there are so many different color options to choose from. How do you find the right color, and where do you start? One way to begin your quest for the perfect shingle color is to check out some of the most popular roof shingle colors of 2024.
Popular Colors Used For Roof Shingles
Black
Black Sable
In 2019, the Shingle Color of the Year from Owens Corning used a mix of black, gray, and umber brown. With this color combination, you can create a dark and mysterious yet timeless black roof that oozes sophistication.
Charcoal
A traditional and popular color, charcoal is very versatile and will go with any home style, design, or color. Known as one of the most neutral shades, it’s a safe bet that its dark shingles will never look out of place.
Brown
Driftwood
This shingle color provides a blend of cool and warm tones that make it versatile while maintaining an element of style and sophistication. The cool tones in this shingle reflect sunlight, helping to reduce energy costs and making it a smart choice for homeowners in warmer climates.
Teak
The dark brown combined with warm gold, gray, and burnt umber provides a natural wood-like appearance to these shingles. This top-seller will be sure to add curb appeal to any home.
Desert Rose
This popular choice replaces its former color, desert tan. Desert rose provides an overall brown color but with a warm blush that adds a sense of sophistication that will really improve your home’s curb appeal.
Weathered Wood
Often known as the ultimate neutral color, this shade creates just enough drama with a touch of variation without going over the top. Cream, ivory, sage, or clay are great siding colors to use with a weathered wood roof.
Barkwood
Beige and brown homes will go well with GAF’s barkwood. As the name suggests, this color resembles real wood with a mixture of red and brown. This makes it a great choice for anyone wanting their home to blend in with any surrounding woods without risk of rot or decay.
Hickory
This color provides a classic yet modern look with an overall brown tone with hints of red. Stone, brick, or terra cotta homes are perfect for a hickory-colored roof.
Gray
Estate Gray
The best-seller estate gray shingle perfectly blends dark gray and black for a versatile but sophisticated look. This classic will work well with many architectural styles including both traditional and modern styled homes.
Pewter Gray
This popular color from GAF is a great option for homeowners looking for a darker roof but still want the efficiency a more reflective colored roof provides.
All-New
Midnight Plum
Inspired by the night sky, Owens Corning has created a first of its kind with an overall purple color perfectly blended with deep blues and glints of silver that give way to a sense of wonder and possibility. This truly striking 2023 Shingle Color of the Year can create an intriguing look while still being inviting.
Most Popular Roof Shingle Color Tones
Neutral and earth tones are incredibly popular shingle colors among homeowners. When considering these color palettes, it’s quite easy to see why so many people choose a shingle color from these categories.
Neutral Tones
While it may seem boring to stick with a neutral color, it’s certainly a practical choice, which explains why neutrals are a popular choice. However, choosing a neutral color doesn’t have to be boring. It leaves room to go bold elsewhere with your home’s exterior or to change things up often for homeowners who like fluid exterior decor.
A neutral-colored roof can range from lighter to darker shades and is a great choice for homeowners with a bold house color or other bold design elements. For you landscapers out there, neutral colors are also a perfect choice so you don’t distract from your dancing daisies or magnificent magnolias.
Beige
These shingle tones tend to offer a calming atmosphere that will bring a sense of relaxation and balance to bold or busy exterior designs or landscaping.
Brown
Brown shingles can range from light to dark, making them perfect for a wide range of home colors and styles. A brown roof also works well if you want it to blend in with the wooded areas surrounding your home.
Earth Tones
Many homeowners have jumped on the bandwagon of this very popular trend of an earth-toned roof for a look inspired by nature. Choosing an earth-toned roof is also a great option if you want your home to blend well with its natural surroundings in order to highlight a bold-colored door or any other exterior accent.
Tan
The various shades of tan are perfect for traditional or classical home styles. Its natural, earthy tones make it easy to plan landscaping designs that will work seamlessly with your tan roof.
Green
Modern and contemporary designs can benefit from a green roof just as much as homes with a more natural, organic style. The various shades of light green, forest green, and sage green make it a snap to coordinate your roof with other elements of design.
Brown
Light beige, chocolate brown, and deep caramel hues are ideal for homes with natural styles like a house with stone or wood accents.
Steps For Picking a Roof Shingle Color
Now that you’ve learned about the most popular colors for roofs in 2024, we will walk you step-by-step through how to pick the right shingle color for your new roof.
1. Color Match
If you’re unsure where to start, ask your roofing contractor for a color match of your current roof. This will give you someplace to start from, whether you like the current color or not.
2. Online Research
Next, go online and look at manufacturer websites. You can also go to Google Images or Pinterest for ideas. Look for examples of homes with similar styles, colors, and rooflines as your home.
3. Samples
By now, you’ve hopefully been able to narrow down your choices to a few or at least have decided on a color family, but maybe not a specific shade. Talk to your roofing company about the colors you are considering and ask for sample boards.
Place these sample boards against the exterior of your home, step back, and evaluate the color combinations. Do this at different times of the day and, if possible, in different weather conditions.
4. Drive Around
Ask your contractor to recommend some local homes with the roof colors you are considering. Drive by during different times of the day and preferably in different weather conditions. This will give you the opportunity to see the colors in action. Shingle colors can look different depending on the time of day and weather.
5. Choose a Color
Finally, once you have completed all your research and have seen the samples against your home, as well as the shingle color on a real roof, it is time to make a final decision.
FAQ About the Most Popular Roof Shingle Colors
The overall aesthetic appeal of your home’s exterior plays a vital role in helping to sell your home. However, when you take into consideration that your roof accounts for 40% of your home’s visual exterior, then shingle color can greatly influence your home’s resale value.
If you are replacing your roof with a plan to sell in the next few years, then consider sticking with a more neutral colored shingle. Tan, brown, black, and gray tend to stay in style over time, making them appeal to a wider audience than if you went with a more unique roof color.
Climate is another factor to take into consideration. Buyers often look for energy-efficient homes. Naturally, lighter colors reflect sunlight, making these colors ideal for hot climates. Darker colors hold onto heat, making them a good choice for colder climates.
Some homeowners believe lighter-colored roof shingles last longer. However, there is no proof a specific color of shingle will last any longer than another. What impacts a shingle’s longevity is the quality of the material and its maintenance.
Dark colors can provide depth or highlight a unique roof design. Dark-colored shingles are perfect for multi-level homes since they often have a more dramatic roof design than a one-story home might.
One-story ranch-style homes are the perfect contender for a light-colored roof. It can provide a more comfortable, homey feel. A darker color roof could appear to overtake the house, making your roof the main attraction and squishing out any other design elements.
Find Your Perfect Color
Are you ready to bring your quest for the perfect roof shingle color to a close? If so, let us help you find a local professional roofing company that is guaranteed to have your neighbors asking about your amazing new roof.
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